St.  Ignatius  ^aUr. 


.A#, 


MOUSE  LIBRARY 


\ 


4- 


BY  A  FATHER 
OF  THE 

SOCIETY  OF  JESUS. 


SIXTH  EDITION. 


PUBLISHED  BV 

I  THE  LEAGUE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART,  ST.  XAVIER  CHURCH, 
I  CINCINNATI,  O, 

I 

I 

+ 


1  009. 


(0batat. 

:  R.  J.  MEYER,  S.J., 

< 

I  Praepos.  Prov. 

June  21,  1908. 

3mprimat«r. 

HENRICUS  MOELLER, 


July  1,  1908. 


Archiep.  Cincinnaten. 


Introduction. 


i 

TN  THE  first  two  editions  of  this  booklet, 
nearly  all  the  examples  of  the  favors 
received  by  those  who  used  St.  Ignatius 
Holy  Water,  were  taken  from  foreign  coun¬ 
tries  and  from  the  remote  past.  It  may 
perhaps  increase  our  confidence  in  the 
powerful  intercession  of  St.  Ignatius  to 
know  that  not  only  in  the  distant  past  and 
in  far  off  lands,  but  even  at  the  present 
time,  in  our  own  country,  and  in  our  midst, 
wonderful  instances  of  the  efficacy  of  this 
holy  water  are  to  be  met  with.  Hence 
one  of  the  objects  of  the  two  following 
editions  was  to  encourage  the  confidence 
of  the  clients  of  St.  Ignatius  by  presenting 
to  them  some  of  the  more  recent  cures 
effected  in  our  own  country.  In  this 


edition  an  entirely  new  series  of  favors  is 
given,  different  from  those  narrated  before. 
These  favors  are  so  varied  that  no  attempt 
will  be  made  to  classify  them,  and  hence 
we  shall  merelv  record  them,  in  so  far  as 

V 

is  possible,  in  chronological  order. 

It  is  hoped  that  these  few  pages  may  con¬ 
tribute,  at  least  in  some  small  degree,  to  the 
honor  and  glory  of  St.  Ignatius  of  Loyola, 
and  increase  devotion  to  this  great  Saint. 
May  all  those  who,  in  a  spirit  of  faith, 
make  use  of  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water,  ex¬ 
perience  the  effects  of  his  powerful  inter¬ 
cession.  May  they  receive  all  temporal 
as  well  as  spiritual  favors,  as  a  reward 
of  their  confidence  in  the  power  of  St. 
Ignatius,  before  the  throne  of  God. 

St.  Xavier  Church,  Cincinnati,  O., 
January  1,  1909. 


IgngtiOs 


'  i  'HE  ACTS  of  the  canonization  of  St.  Ignatius 
recognize  more  than  two  hundred  miracles 
wrought  through  his  mediation.  These  marvels 
have  continued  without  interruption  even  to  our 
own  days.  Among  the  many  practices  of  devotion 
to  which  God  has  deigned  to  attach  what  might 
seem  miraculous  favors,  the  most  universally  known 
is  the  use  of  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water.  Almighty 
God  has  visibly  approved  of  this  pious  practice,  by 
granting  the  desires  of  persons  who  have  availed 
themselves  of  this  means  with  faith  and  confidence. 
The  very  prayers  used,  with  the  approbation  of  the 
Church,  in  the  blessing  of  this  water  are  enough  to 
convince  us  of  its  efficacy.  For  the  priest,  whilst 
dipping  a  relic  or  medal  of  the  Saint  into  the  water, 
prays,  in  the  name  of  the  Church  that  God  may 
grant  to  this  holy  water  the  virtue  of  healing  both 
body  and  soul,  and  of  driving  away  all  evils  from 
our  dwellings. 


5 


THE  NOVENA  TO  ST.  IGNATIUS. 

Persons  wishing  to  make  use  of  this  holy  water 
are  exhorted 

(1)  To  make  a  novena  to  St.  Ignatius,  reciting 
some  prayers  daily,  and  drinking  a  little  of  the 
water,  morning  and  evening,  or  putting  some  drops 
on  the  parts  of  the  body  affected. 

(2)  They  should  approach  the  Sacraments  dur¬ 
ing  the  novena,  or  at  least  promise  to  do  so  as  soon 
as  they  obtain  the  favor  they  ask. 

This,  however,  must  be  borne  in  mind : 

(a)  That  those  who  have  confidence  will  soon 
experience  the  great  power  of  St.  Ignatius  with  God; 
and  the  greater  this  confidence,  the  sooner  they  will 
obtain  their  request. 


6 


(6)  If  at  the  end  of  a  novena,  the  favor  is  not 
obtained,  let  them  not  lose  confidence.  Ordinarily, 
God  does  not  grant  His  favors  at  once,  but  He  often 
delays  in  order  to  prevent  us  from  falling  into  a 
blind  self-suflBciency.  Our  Lord  has  said:  “Ask 
and  you  shall  receive;”  but  He  has  not  said  “im¬ 
mediately”.  Some  persons  have  obtained  the  cure 
they  sought  only  after  several  novenas. 

Prayers  for  the  Novena. 

The  following  prayers  may  be  recited  during  the 
novena: 

Three  times  the  Our  Father,  Hail  Mary,  and 
Glory  be  to  the  Father,  etc.,  night  and  morning.  (To 
these  may  be  added  the  Litany  of  the  Holy  Name 
of  Jesus,  or  the  Litany  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  once 
a  day,  according  to  one’s  devotion.) 

V.  Pray  for  us,  O  Holy  Father,  St.  Ignatius. 

R.  That  we  may  be  made  worthy  of  the  prom¬ 
ises  of  Christ. 


Let  Us  Pray. 

O  God,  who,  for  the  increase  of  the  greater 
glory  of  Thy  Holy  Name,  hast  been  pleased  by 
Blessed  Ignatius,  to  strengthen  the  Church  militant, 
with  new  help,  grant  that  aided  by  his  prayers,  dur- 


7 


ing  our  warfare  on  earth,  we  may  so  imitate  his 
virtues,  as  to  be  happily  crowned  with  him  in  heaven. 
Through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  etc.  Amen. 


Let  tls  Pray. 

O  Holy  Lord,  Father  Almighty,  Eternal  God, 
who,  imparting  to  the  bodies  of  the  sick  Thy  gra¬ 
cious  blessing,  dost  guard  Thy  creature  by  Thy  mani¬ 
fold  tenderness,  graciously  assist  us  to  invoke  Thy 
Holy  Name;  that,  by  the  intercession  of  Thy  Con¬ 
fessor,  St.  Ignatius,  Thy  servants,  freed  from  sick¬ 
ness  and  blessed  with  health,  may  be  raised  up  by 
Thy  right  hand,  strengthened  by  Thy  help,  guarded 
by  Thy  protection,  and  restored  to  Thy  Holy 
Church  with  every  blessing.  Through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  etc.  Amen. 


Let  Us  Pray. 

O  Thou,  who  dost  vouchsafe  Thy  blessing  to  this 
holy  water,  that  it  may  be  a  salutary  remedy  to  the 
human  race,  grant  by  the  intercession  of  Blessed 
Ignatius,  whose  relic  or  medal  has  been  immersed 
in  it,  that  whoever  partakes  of  it  may  receive  health 
of  body  and  protection  of  soul.  Through  Christ 
our  Lord.  Amen. 


THE  POWERFUL  INTERCESSION  OF 
ST.  IGNATIUS. 


TN  ORDER  that  the  faithful  may  be  better  con- 

vinced  of  its  efficacy,  we  shall  relate  a  few  of  the^^ 
many  favors  received  through  the  use  of  this  holy 
water. 

“Father  Fiter,”  says  the  Woodstock  Letters 
(1890),  “in  his  interesting  little  account  written  in 
Spanish,  classifies  the  miracles  and  favors  obtained 
through  the  use  of  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water,  giving  a 
special  chapter  to  each  class.  The  miracles  and 
favors  are  wonderfully  varied.  (1)  In  certain 
parts  of  Switzerland,  for  instance,  the  holy  water  is 
used  effectually  in  imminent  danger  from  fire. 
(2)  In  Spain  miraculous  recoveries  of  women  in 
labor  are  recorded  without  number.  (3)  In  Italy 
and  France  it  is  used  as  a  powerful  remedy  against 
violent  temptations.” 

We  could  cite  a  great  number  of  instances,  but 
shall  content  ourselves  with  relating  but  a  few  of 
them.  These  facts,  as  far  as  one  can  judge  of 
heavenly  favors,  without  anticipating  the  judgment 
of  the  Church,  seem  to  us  very  apt  to  excite  the  con¬ 
fidence  of  the  faithful  and  increase  their  devotion 
towards  a  Saint  whose  intercession  appears  so  power¬ 
ful  with  God. 


9 


SOME  FAVORS  OBTAINED  THROUGH  THE  USE 
OF  ST.  IGNATIUS  HOLY  WATER  IN 
RECENT  YEARS. 


f^ATHER  Thos.  D.  M,,  S.J.,  was  the  witness  of  a 
^  remarkable  cure  of  one  of  the  students  of  Spring 
Hill  College,  Mobile,  Ala.,  in  1902.  He  says  that 
typhoid  fever  tried  them  very  severely  that  year. 
A  young  lad  named  Voorhies,  from  Louisiana,  was 
attacked.  It  was  a  dreadful  case,  and  the  doctors 
gave  him  up,  considering  his  condition  hopeless. 
His  friends  began  a  novena  to  St.  Ignatius,  placed  a 
medal  of  the  Saint  on  the  sufferer,  and  dropped 
some  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water  into  all  the  medicine 
he  took,  when  lo!  the  boy  was  saved.  Astonished 
at  the  unexpected  cure  of  their  boy,  when  all  natural 
help  seemed  useless,  the  father  and  mother  vowed 
lasting  gratitude  to  St.  Ignatius  of  Loyola,  through 
whose  intercession  their  son  was  restored  to  them. 

^  i  'HE  little  child  of  Mrs.  J.  A.  D.,  of  the  Gesu 
parish,  Milwaukee,  had  suffered  from  eye 
trouble  from  its  birth,  August,  1903.  Tears  gath¬ 
ering  under  the  lid  caused  inflammation  and  the 
formation  of  matter  which  hardened  on  the  lid,  thus 
causing  a  very  serious  condition  of  the  eye.  Al¬ 
though  following  faithfully  the  directions  of  two 
physicians  as  to  the  treatment  of  the  eye,  it  became 
alarmingly  worse.  On  August  29th,  the  child  was 


10 


taken  to  an  oculist,  who  said  that  the  tear  duct  was 
closed,  that  inflammation  had  set  in  and  that  the 
bone  was  diseased,  so  that  absolutely  nothing  could 
be  done  but  have  an  immediate  operation.  Sep¬ 
tember  1st,  the  child  was  taken  to  a  Jesuit  Father, 
who  prayed  over  it,  applied  some  St.  Ignatius  Holy 
Water,  and  advdsed  a  novena  to  the  Saint.  On  the 
following  first  Friday,  October  7th,  the  mother  in 
great  joy  took  the  child,  now  completely  cured,  to 
show  the  Father  the  result  of  the  prayers  and  no¬ 
vena. 

About  two  years  and  a  half  after  the  cure,  one  of 
the  Fathers  was  requested  to  make  inquiries  as  to 
its  permanence.  He  replied  that  he  found  the  cure 
perfect  and  permanent,  without  any  trace  of  pre- 
\nous  trouble,  or  any  indication  of  its  return.  The 
mother  of  the  child  adds  that  she  had  a  similar 
exi>erience  wdth  another  child,  four  years  before, 
for  both  of  which  she  expresses  her  thanks  and 
grateful  appreciation  of  the  favor  received  through 
the  intercession  of  St.  Ignatius. 

O  EV.  J.  B.  H.,  S.J.,  of  the  Sacred  Heart  Church, 
Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Ont.,  relates  the  case  of  a 
young  man  who  went  to  the  hospital  in  the  \\inter 
of  1903,  with  a  very  badly  lacerated  finger.  Blood 
poisoning  had  already  set  in,  so  that  it  was  in  a  very 
bad  condition.  The  surgeon  said  that  there  was 
only  one  thing  to  do,  and  that  quickly — amputate  it. 


11 


Sister  St.  Blaise,  who  was  just  then  reading  the  life  of 
St.  Ignatius,  thought  that  such  a  great  Saint  might 
find  another  way,  and  so  she  bathed  the  man’s 
finger  in  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water.  Shortly  after, 
he  went  away  with  four  solid  fingers  and  a  thumb 
on  each  hand. 

^  I  ''HE  account  of  the  following  cure  is  taken  from 
The  Madonna.  The  statement  is  given,  says 
the  editor,  just  as  it  is  in  the  original  document,  with¬ 
out  endeavoring  to  establish  any  claim  of  a  super¬ 
natural  character,  beyond  saying  that  the  facts  al¬ 
leged  are,  as  far  as  we  are  aware,  absolutely  correct. 
We  have  thought  it  better,  out  of  regard  for  persons 
concerned,  to  suppress  the  names  and  addresses. 
The  account,  given  in  her  own  words,  was  written 
on  May  4,  1904,  by  an  Irish  religious  of  the  Order 
of  Mercy:  For  fourteen  years  I  suffered  from  a 
diseased  bone  in  my  head,  for  which  I  was  constantly 
treated  by  eminent  surgeons  without  getting  any 
permanent  relief — never  for  more  than  a  month  at  a 
time.  The  disease  spread  gradually,  and  my 
suffering  increased  until  it  became  indescribable. 
I  put  myself  into  the  hands  of  a  specialist  who  treated 
me  for  two  years  with  a  particular  interest  in  my  case, 
which  he  said  was  a  peculiar  one,  but  still  without 
relief,  or  any  hope  of  a  cure.  Ultimately  he  told  me 
that  the  only  remedy  left  was  to  remove  all  the  bones 
of  one  side  of  my  face,  including  a  considerable  por- 


12 


tion  of  the  orbit,  and  involving  the  loss  of  the  nose 
and  one  eye.  At  this  stage  I  was  told  by  a  Jesuit 
Father  to  give  up  all  medical  treatment,  leave  my¬ 
self  in  the  hands  of  St.  Ignatius,  and  use  the  water 
blessed  in  his  honor.  I  did  so,  and  I  have  now  been 
more  than  three  years  without  any  other  remedy,  and 
have  never  during  that  time  suffered  from  my  head 
or  been  unable  for  my  work.  The  specialist  men¬ 
tioned  above  declared  my  cure  to  be  marvelous.  I 
attribute  it  entirely  to  the  intercession  of  St. 
Ignatius. 

A  BOUT  June  4,  1904,  Mrs.  McC.,  of  Woodward 
^  ^  avenue,  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  was  suffering  from 
tumor.  The  doctor  ordered  her  to  get  ready  for  an 
operation,  if  she  valued  her  life.  She  said  she  would 
almost  rather  die,  for  she  was  so  broken  down  that 
she  could  not  stand  the  strain.  She  asked  Father 
B.  J.  H.,  S.J.,  of  the  Sacred  Heart  Church,  to  do 
something  for  her.  lie  told  her  that  St.  Ignatius 
would  cure  her,  and  gave  her  some  of  the  holy  water. 
A  few  days  afterwards  she  was  sent  to  the  hospital 
and  lodged  in  the  same  room  where  Sister  St. 
Maurice  was  cured  of  the  same  disease  three  years 
before  through  the  intercession  of  St.  Ignatius. 
The  Father  reminded  her  of  the  fact  and  gave  her 
his  own  medal  of  St.  Ignatius  to  wear  during  a 
novena  to  the  Saint.  There  was  no  operation. 
Two  months  later  she  told  the  Father  that  she  did 


13 


not  know  how  to  express  her  thanks  sufficiently  to 
St.  Ignatius  for  the  splendid  health  she  enjoyed  ever 
since. 

A  MISSIONARY  writing  from  Honduras,  August 
30,  1904,  says  that  a  lady  told  him  shortly  be¬ 
fore  that  she  had  applied  in  vain  every  remedy  she 
could  obtain  to  cure  her  eyes  of  a  disease  which  has 
left  many  others  blind.  Finally  she  used  St. 
Ignatius  Holy  Water  with  prayer  and  confidence 
and  was  cured. 

FEATHER  B.  C.,  S.J.,  writing  from  St.  Ignatius 
^  Church,  San  Francisco,  August  31,  1904,  men¬ 
tions  a  very  remarkable  case  which  happened  shortly 
before:  A  little  boy  was  entirely  crippled.  His 
parents  having  tried  in  vain  all  the  remedies  they 
could,  out  in  the  country  where  they  lived,  brought 
the  little  boy  to  San  Francisco  to  consult  some  of  the 
best  physicians.  As  they  first  called  on  one  of  the 
Fathers  of  St.  Ignatius  Church  to  learn  the  name  of 
some  prominent  physician,  he  recommended  the  use 
of  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water.  They  started  at  once 
to  use  it,  and  in  a  few  days  the  child  got  so  much 
better  that  they  took  him  back  home  to  finish  the 
novena.  A  few  days  after,  the  mother  sent  a  letter  to 
the  Father,  stating  that  the  child  was  well.  Her 
heart  was  overflowing  with  gratitude  to  St.  Ignatius, 


14 


and  she  expressed  a  hope  to  be  able  some  time  to 
testify  her  gratitude  in  a  substantial  manner. 


T  TNDER  date  of  August  31,  1904,  Father  B.  C., 
^  S.J.,  of  St.  Ignatius  Church,  San  Francisco, 
writes:  “About  four  years  ago,  as  I  was  going  out 
one  day,  I  met  at  the  door  a  gentleman  who  spends 
much  time  each  day  in  our  church,  and  I  asked  him 
how  he  was.  ‘I  am  not  well  at  all,’  he  said.  ‘I 
have  no  ambition.’  The  poor  man  had  intermit¬ 
tent  fever  and  ague,  and  after  walking  a  few  blocks 
he  became  exhausted  and  had  to  lie  down.  He  took 
a  great  amount  of  quinine,  but  in  vain.  I  advised 
him  to  make  a  novena  to  St.  Ignatius  and  to  use  the 
holy  water.  He  did  not  know  anything  about  it,  so 
I  explained  what  it  was.  He  agreed  to  begin  at 
once.  I  met  him  soon  after,  and  asked  him  how 
he  was.  ‘First  rate.  Father,’  he  said.  ‘From  the 
moment  I  took  the  first  dose  of  that  holy  water  I 
have  been  an  entirely  new  man;  I  never  felt  better 
in  all  my  life;  St.  Ignatius  is  a  great  Saint,’  etc. 
I  met  him  again  and  again  since,  and  he  had  always 
the  same  answer.  Before  writing  to  you  I  saw  him 
again,  the  other  day,  and  he  assured  me  once  more 
that  from  the  time  he  took  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water, 
he  has  been  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  best  of  health 
and  that  he  still  feels  well.  His  name  is  Lawrence 
K.,  a  member  of  our  sodality.’’ 


15 


O  EV.  Jas.  K.,  S.J.,  of  Gonzaga  College,  Spokane, 
Washington,  relates  the  following  case:  “One 
night  in  August,  1904,  we  received  at  the  College 
an  urgent  sick  call.  A  young  lady  was  very  ill, 
though  I  did  not  consider  it  necessary  to  administer 
the  last  Sacraments  at  once.  The  next  morning,  I 
brought  her  Holy  Communion  and  left  her  some 
St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water,  telling  her  to  take  a  few 
teaspoonfuls  every  time  her  trouble  occurred. 
Though  previous  to  this  she  had  been  unable  to  take 
or  retain  any  nourishment,  after  taking  some  of  the 
holy  water,  she  was  able  to  retain  nourishment  and 
began  at  once  to  get  better.  Since  taking  the  holy 
water  (which  she  always  mixed  with  the  medicine) 
her  trouble  has  disappeared.  Her  case  baffled  the 
physicians  for  a  time,  so  she  attributed  her  cure  to  the 
use  of  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water.” 

r^ROM  the  Sacred  Heart  Church,  Sault  Ste. 

Marie,  August  15,  1904,  a  Jesuit  Father, 
writes:  “On  September  29,  1903,  I  was  called  in 
haste  to  attend  Mrs.  E.  A.  B.,  who  was  thought  to 
be  in  imminent  danger  of  death.  The  doctor  was 
called  for,  but  failed  to  come,  so  I  gave  her  some  St. 
Ignatius  Holy  Water,  assuring  her  that  it  would  help 
her.  The  next  day  she  was  sitting  up  in  bed  and  the 
third  day  she  was  doing  her  work.  About  two 
months  ago,  her  husband  called  to  tell  me  that  she 
has  been  well  ever  since.  Mrs.  B.  herself  came  to 


16 


see  me  some  time  ago  and  said  she  almost  doubts  at 
times  if  she  is  the  same  Mrs.  B.  of  some  years  ago, 
as,  instead  of  spending  most  of  her  time  on  a  sick¬ 
bed,  she  now  does  all  her  own  work  and  that  too  for 
a  very  large  family.  Last  night  she  was  in  church 
till  10  p.m.,  kneeling  before  the  altar  for  a  long 
time,  as  only  a  strong  healthy  person  could  do.” 

O  E\^  N.  C.,  S.J.,  writing  September  20,  1904, 
from  Gonzaga  College,  Spokane,  Washington, 

says: 

(1)  Havdng  the  spiritual  care  of  our  boarders, 
1  often  visit  the  sick  in  the  infirmary.  I  exhort  them 
to  use  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water  with  prayer  and  con¬ 
fidence,  and  find  in  general  that  they  are  very  much 
helped  and  comforted  in  their  sufferings.  About 
four  years  ago,  one  of  our  large  boys  was  afflicted 
with  inflammatory  rheumatism.  The  doctor  de¬ 
clared  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  get  out  of  bed  for 
months.  We  started  a  novena,  using  St.  Ignatius 
Holy  Water,  and  before  the  end  of  the  novena,  he 
was  able  to  be  put  in  a  cab  and  then  to  travel  without 
inconvenience  from  Spokane  to  Portland,  Oregon. 
All  recognized  it  as  a  wonderful  cure. 

(2)  Three  years  ago,  another  large  boy  had  very 
sore  eyes,  so  that  he  could  not  read  or  study.  He 
made  a  novena,  using  the  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water, 
and  at  the  end  of  it,  returned  to  his  studies. 

(3)  I,  myself,  about  a  year  ago,  suffered  very 


17 


much  from  pains  in  the  stomach.  It  seemed  that  no 
remedy  could  help  me.  I  took  some  St.  Ignatius 
Holy  Water,  and  I  was  at  once  greatly  relieved. 

IVyJRS.  J.  W.  N.,  of  Butte,  Mont.,  writing  August 
15,  1905,  gives  the  following  instance  of  the 
intercession  of  St.  Ignatius:  My  two  little  boys, 
one  aged  five  years  and  another  aged  three,  had 
swollen  throats  all  last  winter;  we  did  everything 
for  them  possible,  but  nothing  seemed  to  help  them, 
and  the  oldest  boy’s  chin  broke  out  in  a  running  sore. 
As  two  of  your  Fathers,  Rev.  J.  R.  R.  and  Rev.  J.  J. 
D.,  were  giving  a  mission  in  our  church,  I  took  the 
little  boys  to  see  Father  R.  He  gave  me  some  St. 
Ignatius  Holy  Water,  together  with  a  leaflet  of  pray¬ 
ers  to  make  a  novena.  I  commenced  at  once,  and 
I  promised  two  Masses  in  honor  of  St.  Ignatius. 
Both  boys  got  better  and  have  not  been  troubled 
since.  I  gave  them  the  water  to  drink  twice  a  day, 
and  applied  some  externally.  I  promised  the  mis¬ 
sionary  Father  and  Sb  Ignatius  also,  to  write  you 
when  they  were  cured. 

Several  months  later,  the  grateful  mother  wrote 
to  say  that  both  boys  are  well,  that  they  do  not  suffer 
any  more,  and  seem  to  be  in  perfect  health. 

TOURING  a  mission,  given  in  Cincinnati,  in  the 
fall  of  1905,  a  wonderful  cure  was  effected 
through  the  intercession  of  St.  Ignatius.  Mrs.  H.  H., 


18 


the  mother  of  a  family,  had  been  suffering  for  two 
years  from  an  open  sore  in  the  leg,  which  the  family 
doctor  declared,  after  continued  treatment,  could 
not  be  cured.  She  spoke  to  one  of  the  missionaries 
about  it,  who  advised  her  to  apply  externally  some 
St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water,  and  to  make  a  no  vena. 
She  began  the  novena,  and  to  the  surprise  and  de¬ 
light  of  her  family  and  friends  was  perfectly  cured 
the  third  day  of  the  novena.  She  is  now  entirely 
free  from  any  pain,  and  there  is  now  no  longer  any 
trace  of  the  former  trouble. 

^  I  'HE  following  wonderful  cure  of  a  religious, 
through  the  intercession  of  St.  Ignatius  and  the 
frequent  use  of  the  holy  water,  is  thus  described  by 
herself : 

“In  the  year  1905,  my  eyes  troubled  me  very 
much.  On  the  6th  of  September  of  the  same  year, 
I  went  to  an  eminent  oculist  in  Chicago  and  had 
them  tested.  Two  weeks  later  I  got  glasses.  On 
the  20th  and  25th  of  the  same  month,  I  had  two 
operations  performed  on  the  left  eye,  as  it  was  not 
straight;  but  both  proved  unsuccessful.  During 
this  time,  I  was  a  postulant  in  the  community,  and  as 
I  was  unable  to  attend  to  my  duties,  I  became  more 
and  more  discouraged  and  finally  thought  it  best, 
with  the  consent  of  my  Superior,  to  go  home  for 
awhile.  I  went  home  December  22,  1905. 

“On  February  8,  1906,  1  had  an  operation  per- 


19 


formed  on  the  right  eye,  which  proved  to  be  more 
unsuccessful  than  the  preceding  ones.  During  the 
three  months  which  followed,  my  eyes  seemed  to  be¬ 
come  worse,  till  finally  I  became  so  discouraged  that 
I  thought  I  would  lose  my  sight  entirely.  I  was 
completely  worn  out  on  account  of  loss  of  sleep, 
caused  by  the  excessive  pain.  As  a  consequence,  I 
lost  my  appetite  and  became  very  thin. 

“At  last,  I  was  advised  by  one  of  the  religious  and 
by  our  Reverend  Chaplain  to  pray  to  St.  Ignatius 
and  use  the  holy  water,  in  a  spirit  of  faith.  This  I 
did,  bathing  the  eyes  three  times  a  day,  during  three 
novenas,  and  at  once  my  eyes  began  to  grow  strong. 
I  improved  rapidly  and  now  I  am  as  well  as  any 
religious  in  the  house.  This  great  impediment  re¬ 
moved,  I  received  the  religious  habit  and  am  now 
as  happy  as  any  one  can  be.”  A  friend  writes 
January  10,  1909,  that  she  is  still  well. 


CHILD  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  E.,  of  Cincinnati, 


born  on  Christmas,  1905,  was  unable  to  open 
its  eyes  for  three  weeks  after  its  birth,  and  then  was 
found  to  be  totally  blind.  The  parents  consulted  the 
best  oculists,  but  in  vain.  A  friend  of  the  family 
brought  them  some  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water,  and 
asked  them  to  apply  it  to  the  child’s  eyes.  They 
did  so.  When  the  friend  called  again,  he  was  told 
that  the  child’s  eyes  were  getting  better.  Follow¬ 
ing  his  advice,  they  continued  to  apply  the  holy 
water,  and  within  a  month,  the  child  could  see  per- 


20 


fectly.  This  happened  two  years  ago,  and  at  pres¬ 
ent  writing,  January,  1908,  its  eyesight  is  perfect, 
as  all  their  neighbors  and  friends  can  testify. 

\  /IRS.  I.  A.  B.,  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  was  in  the  early 
^  ^  part  of  January,  1906,  severely  scalded  on  the 
right  side  of  her  body  from  shoulder  to  foot,  her  arm 
and  shoulder  receiving  the  severest  burns.  The  ver¬ 
dict  of  two  of  Detroit’s  best  surgeons  was  that  she 
would  permanently  lose  the  use  of  her  arm  and  that 
the  great  wound  would  not  heal  without  grafting  of 
skin. 

During  her  illness  she  was  visited  by  two  Jesuit 
Fathers,  Rev.  II.  A.  S.  and  Rev.  S.  R.,  to  whom  she 
expressed  her  great  confidence  in  St.  Ignatius,  and 
received  from  them  some  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water. 
In  spite  of  the  protests  of  her  nurse,  she  mixed  some 
of  it,  unsterilized  as  it  was,  with  the  antiseptic  dress¬ 
ing  of  her  wounds,  and  freely  using  the  holy  water, 
olfered  most  fervent  prayers  to  the  Saint. 

One  night,  when  she  had  fallen  asleep  in  a  state 
of  unusual  despondency,  she  awmke  and  uncon¬ 
sciously  blessed  herself  with  the  hand  which  had  for 
weeks  lain  helpless  even  to  a  finger.  From  that  time 
pus  ceased  to  flow  from  the  wound,  which  ulti¬ 
mately  healed  completely  without  the  grafting  pre¬ 
dicted  by  the  physicians. 

In  August,  Mrs.  B.  not  only  took  a  vacation  trip 
which  her  physician  had  predicted  would  be  im- 


21 


possible,  but  during  it  several  times  exercised  the 
arm,  which  had  threatened  to  keep  her  home,  in 
managing  the  oars  of  their  boat  for  a  casting  party  of 
two.  No  one  who  knew  her  a  year  ago  would,  to  see 
her  now,  suspect  that  she  had  in  the  meantime  under¬ 
gone  a  five  month’s  siege  of  terrible  suffering.  She 
has  the  utmost  confidence  in  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water 
and  wishes  all  who  suffer  to  learn  from  what  the 
Saint  has  done  for  her  to  have  the  greatest  confidence 
likewise  in  his  great  power  before  the  throne  of  God. 

An  inquiry  regarding  the  case,  made  in  June, 
1908,  elicited  the  response  that  she  never  suffered 
any  relapse  and  bore  no  trace  of  the  accident  except 
the  scars. 

TN  THE  beginning  of  the  year  1906,  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet  R.,  of  Mankato,  Minn.,  suffered  so  severely 
from  kidney  trouble  and  from  weakness  of  the  nerves 
that  she  had  to  give  up  work  entirely.  For  nearly  a 
year  the  doctor  gave  her  medicines  but  without  avail. 
Then  a  friend  advised  her  to  use  St.  Ignatius  Holy 
Water  and  to  make  a  no  vena  to  the  Saint,  in  which 
the  rest  of  the  family  joined.  She  then  gave  up  all 
medicines  with  a  firm  confidence  that  St.  Ignatius 
would  help  her.  After  a  few  weeks  she  was  entirely 
well  and  is  now  in  a  condition  to  do  all  her  work. 
She  is  firmly  convinced  that  it  was  only  through  the 
intercession  of  St.  Ignatius  that  she  was  cured. 


22 


\ /f  RS.  ROSE  W.,  also  of  Mankato,  Minn.,  bears 
^  testimony  to  the  following:  I  was  sick  for  a 
good  while  and  had  to  consult  a  doctor,  although 
his  medicines  were  of  no  avail.  After  a  lengthy 
examination  he  recognized  my  condition  and  said 
that  1  had  a  tumor  and  that  nothing  but  an  operation 
could  cure  me.  To  this  I  could  not  make  up  my 
mind.  From  that  time  on  I  began  to  take  St. 
Ignatius  Holy  Water.  I  then  began  different  devo¬ 
tions  in  honor  of  this  great  Saint,  and  I  am  now, 
thanks  to  St.  Ignatius,  entirely  well  again. 

A  •  PERSON  writing  to  The  Messenger  of  the 
Sacred  Heart,  from  Madison,  O.,  in  May,  1906, 
says:  “A  few  weeks  ago  I  was  afflicted  with  a  felon 
on  my  left  index  finger.  Fearing  a  repetition  of  the 
same  trouble  which  I  had  experienced  with  four 
other  fingers  before,  I  commenced  a  novena  to  St. 
Ignatius,  using  the  holy  water,  in  hopes  that  it 
would  relieve  me  without  causing  me  any  serious 
trouble  or  expense.  As  a  result,  I  am  now  happy 
and  ready  to  acknowledge  that  the  cure  of  my  finger 
is  assured,  judging  from  all  appearances  at  the 
present  writing.” 

A  LADY  in  Chicago  attributes  her  restoration  to 
^  health  to  the  intercession  of  St.  Ignatius  and  the 
use  of  the  holy  water. 

Ten  or  eleven  years  ago  her  health  began  to  fail, 


23 


and  about  eight  years  ago  a  growth  appeared  which 
was  pronounced  a  fibroid  tumor.  The  best  sur¬ 
geons  in  the  city  were  consulted  but  they  seemed  un¬ 
willing  to  operate  on  account  of  the  danger  to  life. 
The  tumor  grew  to  an  enormous  size  and  reached 
within  a  few  inches  of  the  heart  and  diaphragm. 

In  April,  1906,  she  had  an  unusually  severe  at¬ 
tack  of  sickness  and  was  prepared  for  death.  The 
attending  physician  had  little  hope  for  her  recovery 
and  said  she  could  live  a  few  months  at  the  most. 
She  rallied,  hov/ever,  and  began  to  use  St.  Ignatius 
water  perseveringly,  from  May  to  October,  once  or 
twice  a  day  and  prayers  were  said  to  St.  Ignatius 
every  day.  Finally  God  sent  her  a  physician  who 
gave  her  hope.  He  encouraged  an  operation,  which 
was  at  last  performed  on  October  29,  1906,  Every 
one  thought  it  would  be  a  case  of  certain  death,  owing 
to  the  emaciated,  weak  condition  of  the  patient,  the 
size  of  the  tumor  and  the  adverse  opinion  of  the 
other  doctors.  But  the  operation  was  so  successful 
and  the  recovery  was  so  rapid,  as  to  be  considered 
marvelous. 

Though  the  tumor  was  a  solid  fibroid  weighing 
nearly  fifty  pounds  the  patient  experienced  no  anaes¬ 
thetic  nausea,  no  collapse,  pain  or  unpleasant  symp¬ 
toms  of  any  kind.  Her  recovery  was  rapid;  she  is 
regaining  strength  every  day  and  becoming  able  to 
resume  duty. 

Though  great  credit  is  due  to  the  wonderful 


24 


courage  and  skill  of  the  surgeon  of  St.  Mary  of 
Nazareth  Hospital,  yet  tTie  lady  feels  she  ought  to 
thank  St.  Ignatius  for  his  gracious  condescension  to 
her  prayers. 

A  friend  of  the  patient,  writing  February  2,  1907, 
says  that  what  seems  most  wonderful  was  the  fact 
that  no  adhesions  were  formed,  but  as  soon  as  the 
incision  was  made,  the  tumor  came  out  without 
causing  suffering  then  or  since.  In  July,  1908, 
the  lady  said  she  felt  so  well  that  she  could  never 
know  there  had  been  trouble  at  any  time. 


\yf  ISS  C.  T.,  of  Hamilton,  O.,  suffered  for  ten  or 
twelve  years  from  a  skin  eruption  on  her  face. 
It  was  not  only  very  disagreeable  in  appearance,  but 
was  besides  extremely  painful.  She  tried  several 
doctors,  and  used  every  kind  of  massage  she  knew  of, 
but  all  seemed  to  afford  no  relief.  In  July,  1906, 
she  began  to  use  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water.  She 
made  a  novena,  but  continued  the  prayers  daily, 
even  after  the  novena.  During  the  whole  time  while 
she  and  her  friends  continued  the  prayers,  she  ap¬ 
plied  the  holy  water  several  times  each  day,  always 
hoping  she  would  be  cured  by  the  intercession  of  St. 
Ignatius.  Her  confidence  and  perseverance  were 
amply  rewarded,  for  she  was  completely  cured  in  a 
month,  and  is  now  (Octol)er,  1907,)  free  from  all 
trouble. 


Mrs.  M.  G.,  of  Cincinnati,  writes  on  January  31, 
1908:  *‘ln  the  month  of  May,  1906,  my 
daughter,  Martha,  was  taken  suddenly  ill.  The 
family  physician  was  called  in  and  pronounced  the 
disease  diphtheria.  I  immediately  began  to  use  St. 
Ignatius  Holy  Water,  giving  the  child  a  teaspoonful 
to  drink  and  making  the  sign  of  the  cross  with  the 
water  on  the  throat.  Each  time,  I  said  three  Our 
Fathers  and  Hail  Marys,  promising  to  have  a  Mass 
offered  in  honor  of  the  Saint  at  the  end  of  the  week. 
In  three  days  the  child  was  well  and  around  as 
usual,  and  has  never  had  a  spell  of  throat  trouble 
since,  which  is  nearly  two  years  ago.” 


RELIGIOUS,  teaching  in  one  of  the  Catholic 


^  schools  of  Cincinnati,  was  afflicted  with  an 
acute  attack  of  appendicitis,  about  two  years  ago. 
An  immediate  operation  was  deemed  absolutely  ne¬ 
cessary,  but  the  doctor  feared  it  would  be  fatal,  on 
account  of  a  severe  fever  which  set  in.  With  a  great 
spirit  of  faith,  and  with  confidence  in  St.  Ignatius, 
she  began  to  use  the  holy  water,  praying  fervently 
every  day,  assisted  by  the  continued  prayers  of  the 
Sisters  of  her  community.  On  September  2,  1906, 
the  doctor  found  her  improved  sufficiently  to  endure 
the  operation,  which  was  most  successful,  and  in 
ten  days  she  was  entirely  well.  She  has  ever  since 
been  in  perfect  health,  and  has  been  performing  her 
duties  regularly  up  to  the  present  time.  She  feels 


26 


most  grateful  to  St.  Ignatius  to  whose  powerful  in¬ 
tercession  she  attributes  her  speedy  and  unexpected 
cure. 

TV  yf  RS.  C.  D.,  of  Covington,  Ky.,  says,  under  date 
of  July  12,  1907,  that  for  some  time  she  had 
a  sore  knee,  which  troubled  her  so  much  for  three 
or  four  weeks,  as  to  make  it  diflSicult  for  her  to 
kneel  down.  She  began  to  make  the  sign  of  the 
cross  on  it,  w'ith  the  holy  water,  meanwhile  praying, 
and  on  the  third  night  was  free  from  all  pain  and 
annoyance.  About  two  years  ago,  she  began  to 
use  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water  on  account  of  an 
affliction  in  the  family,  and  ever  since  then,  in  thanks¬ 
giving,  has  continued  to  say  daily  in  honor  of  the 
Saint,  three  times,  the  Our  Father,  Hail  Mary,  and 
Glory  be  to  the  Father. 

'  I  'HE  accounts  of  the  following  cures,  obtained 
through  the  intercession  of  St.  Ignatius,  were 
received  from  Dayton,  Ohio,  January  1,  1908: 

(1)  A  lady,  who  suffered  much  with  sore  eyes  a 
few  years  ago,  felt  the  old  attack  coming  on  again 
last  October.  She  at  once  got  some  St.  Ignatius 
Holy  Water  and  began  to  use  it,  at  the  same  time 
making  the  novena.  Her  physician  told  her  that  the 
case  would  be  much  more  critical  this  winter  than  it 
was  before  and  that  she  should  prepare  to  suffer. 
She,  however,  trusted  in  St.  Ignatius  and  her  trust 


27 


was  not  misplaced.  Her  eyes  were  completely 
cured  before  the  close  of  the  novena.  She  had 
many  Masses  said  in  thanksgiving;  and  besides, 
bought  herself  a  beautiful  little  statue  of  St.  Ignatius 
and  gave  it  a  place  of  honor  in  her  home. 

(2)  On  January  1,  1907,  a  pupil  of  the  Sisters 
of  Notre  Dame,  Dayton,  Ohio,  was  cured,  by  using 
St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water.  The  young  lady  had  been 
ill  for  three  months  and  the  cause  of  her  illness  was 
not  known  and  could  not  be  discovered  by  her  phy¬ 
sicians.  Her  throat  became  ulcerated  and  she 
could  not  swallow  even  liquid  food.  The  physicians 
gave  her  up  and  stated  that  unless  she  could  take 
nourishment  she  must  die.  Her  mother,  in  great 
sorrow,  went  to  tell  one  of  the  Sisters.  The  Sister  at 
once  thought  of  St.  Ignatius  and  gave  her  some  St. 
Ignatius  Holy  Water  and  a  little  book  that  would 
instruct  her  how  to  make  the  novena.  On  Christ¬ 
mas  day  they  commenced  the  no  vena  and  on  New 
Year’s  day,  the  sick  girl  asked  for  some  beef  tea. 
It  was  prepared  for  her  at  once  and  for  the  first 
time  in  nearly  four  months  she  swallowed  food  with 
ease.  Her  recovery  was  rapid.  She  is  now  per¬ 
fectly  well.  The  physicians  pronounced  the  cure 
supernatural.  A  beautiful  statue  of  St.  Ignatius 
commemorates  the  event  and  testifies  to  the  gratitude 
of  both  mother  and  child. 


28 


(3)  Another  lady,  though  not  cured,  was  spared 
long  enough  to  see  her  financial  affairs  all  settled 
and  an  arrangement,  agreeable  to  all  her  children, 
made,  so  that  after  her  death  there  would  be  no 
trouble  among  her  heirs. 

I  'HE  following  account  was  sent  by  a  priest  in 
Detroit,  Michigan,  March  8,  1908: 

“Knowing  the  interest  you  take  in  the  propaga¬ 
tion  of  the  devotion  to  St.  Ignatius,  you  will  be 
pleased,  1  am  sure,  to  hear  of  the  following  favor 
recently  obtained  through  his  intercession. 

“M  rs.  M.  McD.,  of  this  city,  suffered  from  yellow 
jaundice  in  its  worst  form.  Her  sister,  Mrs.  M.  R., 
(from  whom  I  received  these  particulars,)  gave  her 
some  St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water  on  Sunday,  February 
23d.  At  the  same  time  a  novena  was  begun  for  the 
recovery  of  the  patient.  Twenty  minutes  after  she 
had  taken  the  holy  water  the  sick  lady  was  able  to 
rise  and  walk  the  floor — a  thing  which  she  had  not 
been  able  to  do  for  ten  days.  Two  days  later, 
February  25th,  she  had  so  far  recovered  that  she 
ventured  to  go  down  town  shopping.  The  doctor 
was  greatly  surprised  at  the  sudden  recovery  of  his 
patient,  esj>ecially  since  only  a  few  days  before  he  had 
made  the  prediction  that  it  would  take  a  long  time 
to  cure  the  disorder.  The  mother  of  the  sick  lady 
had  well  nigh  given  up  all  hope  of  recovery.  Mrs. 


29 


McD.  continues  to  be  strong  and  well.  Others 
speak  of  the  wonderful  favors  obtained  by  means  of 
St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water  in  similar  cases.” 


HANKS  are  returned  for  the  cure  of  a  pupil  of 


one  of  the  convent  schools  of  Dayton,  O.  She 
was  suffering  from  an  ulcerated  gum.  St.  Ignatius 
Holy  Water  was  used,  and  a  novena  made,  and  the 
trouble  disappeared. 

A  CANADIAN  priest.  Chaplain  of  the  Hospital 
in  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Ont.,  vouches  for  the  fol¬ 
lowing  facts  which  happened  several  years  ago: 
Mrs.  Edw.  O’C.  was  in  great  danger  from  a  severe 
hemorrhage  caused  by  a  rupture  in  the  nose,  from 
heavy  lifting.  The  first  bleeding  lasted  two  hours, 
before  the  doctor  could  stop  it;  a  second  took  place  ^ 
the  same  day,  and  lasted  as  long.  The  doctor 
said  he  would  not  answer  for  a  third.  After  some 
effort,  however,  he  managed  to  form  a  clot,  with 
drugs  and  cotton  batting.  The  danger  would  be 
in  removing  the  clot.  This  he  delayed  a  day  longer 
than  at  first  intended,  for,  though  the  best  doctor 
and  surgeon  in  the  city,  and  head  of  the  hospital 
staff,  he  was  nervous  in  the  extreme,  and  prepared 
the  family  for  the  worst.  But  they  had  St.  Ignatius 
on  their  side  and  his  medal  on  the  patient,  who  had 
used  the  holy  water  freely.  The  doctor  removed 
the  clot  as  one  brushes  off  an  insect;  and,  wonder- 


30 


ful  to  relate,  the  cotton  was  as  white  as  the  driven 
snow,  after  four  days’  service  on  a  wound.  St. 
Ignatius  had  cured  her. 


PRIEST  in  Canada  says  that  he  has  met  cases: 


^  ^  (1)  in  which  eczema  was  cured  after  bathing 

the  face  with  the  holy  water  and  saying  some  prayers. 

(2)  In  another  case,  a  child  subject  to  nervous 
attacks,  fits  and  convulsions  was  cured. 

(3)  He  has  found  that  the  sick  who  use  it  get 
rest  and  peaceful  nights. 

(4)  That  it  is  helpful  in  accident  cases. 

(5)  That  dying  persons  seem  to  receive  an  in¬ 
crease  of  faith,  and  that  the  priest  is  greatly  aided 
in  administering  the  Sacraments. 

(6)  There  are  also  many  instances  on  record 
where  women  in  child-birth  have  experienced  the 
beneficial  effects  of  this  holy  w'ater,  when  used  with 
fervent  prayer,  and  child-like  confidence  in  the  in¬ 
tercession  of  St.  Ignatius. 


Conclusion. 

E  TRUST  that  those  who  read  this  book- 


T  T  let  will  have  a  greater  confidence  in 
the  wonderful  effects  of  this  holy  water, 
and  that  they  will  j)ropagate  its  use  amongst 
the  sick  and  the  suffering.  After  hearing  the 


31 


wonders  wrought  in  times  past  through  its  use, 
one  might  think  that  this  holy  water  has  lost 
something  of  its  efficacy  of  former  days;  but 
God’s  power  is  not  lessened,  nor  is  the  solicitude 
of  St.  Ignatius  for  the  afflicted  less  loving  now 
than  of  old.  When  our  times  become  matter  of 
history,  we  hope  that  equally  wonderful  things 
will  be  said  and  written  of  this  devotion.  Let 
us  at  least  do  our  part  in  making  it  known,  and 
in  making  St.  Ignatius  more  loved  and  honored, 
all  to  the  greater  glory  of  God. 


St.  Ignatius  Holy  Water  can  be  obtained  at 
any  Jesuit  Church,  or  from  any  Father  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus,  free  of  charge. 


32 


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THE  MOUNTCL  PRESS, 
ROWER  BUILOINO, 
CINCIN  NATI. 


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